Israelite9191
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Welcome j eps!
Update is taking longer than I had expected, but it is mostly done.
Update is taking longer than I had expected, but it is mostly done.
IsrNES4: Novus Ordo Seclorum
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carmen510
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Israelite9191
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Update will come under this post. Please do not post until I say you can.
Israelite9191
You should be reading
IT 1- Update 1
450-440 BCE
There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. –Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, Political Theorist, The Prince, 1532
As the sun rose over plains and mountains, deserts and seas, the eyes of men across the face of the glob opened to a new day, and a new age. The year 450 BCE marked the beginning of vast changes in society, and the beginning of a new period in history. From the dry sands of the Egyptian desert to the watery rice patties of China a new order is taking hold. Be it by war, be it by government reform, be it by massive religious change, or be it by the slowing shifting grains in the hourglass of time, the world is changing, and it is changing fast. The world was beginning to experience growing pains, for as Machiavelli said, “There is nothing more difficult…than…the introduction of a new order….” Truly, the Novus Ordo Seclorum, the New Order of the Ages, had arrived.
Rashid has fallen, Memphis has fallen, the Pentapolis has fallen, even ancient Thebes has fallen. I am afraid, Your Majesty, that the days of Pharaonic glory may be at their end. –General Her-Amon of the Egyptian Empire, 443 BCE
Egypt was on the verge of collapse; even the desert seemed to be seeking revenge on the seemingly unconquerable civilizers of the Nile. If one believes the propaganda, it would seem that Egypt’s death has been pre-destined by the g-ds, or rather, by G-d.
In 449 BCE a terror roared down on the people of Egypt from the north and from the east, from the kingdom of the Aramaeans, from Aram Damascus. Riding through the Eastern Desert the Arabic camelry led a charge into the Nile Valley, straight for the ancient city of Thebes, the heart of Egypt. Upon approaching the outskirts of Thebes, the Aramaeans lured the Egyptian force out into a large battle. Here is where the obituary for the Pharaoh’s empire was written. Though Egypt’s archers, drawn from the Nubians of the south, were far superior to anything Aram Damascus had, this was negligible. Drawn away from the protective walls of the capital, the archers proved ineffectual against the superior tactics of the Syrian generals. Using a concentrated the charge the camelry easily collapsed the Egyptian left flank, allowing the archers to find and take out the Egyptian general. Without leadership the Egyptian formation broke and the soldiers ran in a disorganized retreat. Thus, the Battle of the Theban Plain was won for Damascus.
Regrouping after the battle the Aramaean forces proceeded to storm Thebes. While the Aram Damascus’ troops, in general, restrained themselves from excessive pillage and rape (despite their hatred of polytheistic Egyptian religion), the Arabic camelry did no such thing. The city seemed to burst into flames as soon as the Arabs passed through the ancient gates. Naught, it would seem, is sacred to them. The golden statues of the temples were seized. Even the ancient idol of Amun, stored in the holiest sanctuary of the grand temple, was not safe; within the year the idol had made its way to the Ka’abah in Mecca.
However, the pharaoh was luckier. Though it is unknown exactly how it came to pass, when the Syrian troops entered the pharaonic palace the next morning, he was missing. Suspicion holds that sometime during the night the pharaoh was escorted from the city on the back of a Bedouin camel, the hellish fires of the city framing the caravan against the night sky. In any case, several weeks later Pharaoh Mernemptah turned up in Elephantine further south. This, however, has been the only spot of hope for the Egyptians.
Far too the north, another scourge of Heaven descended on Egypt. Skirting across the azure blue of the Mediterranean Sea from the Jewish port of Yafo [1] in Aram Damascus was a massive fleet of over fifty ships, sailing for the holy port of Rashid [2]. This was the first sign, visible from the lighthouse from many miles away, of the second prong of Damascus’ two prong Egyptian invasion. However, the main part of this offensive was yet to come. Marching in line out of Goshen [3] to the east, the Syrian army marched into the western half of the Nile Delta. Here, they came across a great surprise. Expecting large resistance, they instead found great support. Her Holiness High Priestess Isetnofret, the head of the Cult of Isis and unofficial leader of all G-ddess Worship, raised the populace in revolt. Though the majority of her political power had long since left, she was able to rally the people around her. The people rose up to support the monotheistic (even if patriarchal) Aramaeans against the heathen Egyptian polytheists. Without so much as lifting a finger, masses of peasants gave the eastern mouth of the Nile Delta and all land once ruled from Rashid.
Freed from the anticipated battle for Rashid, the Aramaeans were able to send all of their forces against Memphis in a concentrated assault; the city stood no chance. Despite the massive forces that Egypt had to defend the old capital of Lower Egypt, they were nothing compared to the forces of Aram Damascus, riding on a wave of success and moral superiority. Memphis fell in a rather lackluster battle and the third of Egypt’s great cities fell. And yet, Egypt would not have a reprieve.
While Memphis and Thebes began to slowly recover under the new rule of Damascus, five more cities would feel the sword. Cyrenaica, often referred to as the Pentapolis for its five cities (Cyrene, Appolonia, Arsinoe, Berenice, and Barca), came to feel the power of yet another great power, Carthage.
Emerging from the white sands of the Libyan Desert, carried on the backs of the great steeds of the Sahara, the Berber mercenaries took the garrison of thriving Barca by surprise. Swooping down from the high Barca Plateau the garrison stood no chance. Arrows and javelins whistled through the air in a storm of fired wood and hardened steal. By the battles end every member of the garrison either lay dead or had fled into the heart of the city; they never even had a chance to take their formations. The Berber mercenaries, however, were not finished. Many of them, ignoring the Punic silver in their purses and the orders of their Carthaginian commanders, decided to take the traditional right of all mercenaries: pillage. However, out of this the prowess of a remarkable leader emerged. Hannibal, a young prince sent along by the order of his father, shamed the mercenaries into ending their pillaging and returning to conquest. A second offensive was launched several months later in July of the year 442 BCE. Carried aboard a sizeable fleet of twenty ships the Numidian mercenaries seized the great city of Cyrene and finally brought Cyrenaica under Punic rule.
The Egyptian Empire is now on a path to collapse. The Nile Delta has been lost, Cyrenaica has been lost, and even the heartland of Thebes has been lost. Their armies are in complete disarray, the great cultural centers are ruled by barbarians and heathens, and even the pharaoh, the son of the g-ds, is loosing his grip on power. However, the people of Egypt will always resist any attempt at subjugation, any attempt at conquest, and anyone that would rob their blessed land, the Gift of the Nile, from them. Mighty Egypt has fallen on hard times, but their future is not yet sealed. No matter the outcome, be it the final fall of Egypt or the driving of foreigners out of the Egyptian homeland, it will truly be the dawn of a new order.
I have lead this nation as best I could and preserved the heritage of our great Hittite ancestors as best I could. I have failed in this, and as such my life is forfeit. –Suicide Note of King Paddatishu I of Kizzuwatna, Second Day of Panathanaea, 447 BCE
Kizzuwatna, a country known for its beauty sat on the southern edge of Asia Minor, sloping down from the Anatolian highlands to the Mediterranean coast. Its landscape is scattered with grape vines and olive trees. This land had always been known for its breathtakingly gorgeous scenery. However, the Aristeian War (originally called such by the Asians) put an end to that.
In 444 BCE the first moves of a war that would signal the end of an era for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Near East. In 444 BCE Troy reached forth and directed its army, under the command of Prince Byzas, to invade the much weaker Kizzuwatna. Feeling the blessings of Pallas Athena, Ares, and Nike, the hoplites marched into the kingdom with great determination. Luring the Kizzuwatnan forces out into the fields, they engaged each other in the Battle of Akroinon. The battle was a total route, due to numeric superiority, training superiority, and the ingenious hoplite tactics of Prince Byzas, and his lower an ambitious and young Athenian named Pericles. The battle would have been a total slaughter had not nearly every Kizzuwatnan soldier managed to successfully escape with their lives and regroup for an organized retreat through Lycia to Kummanni where they intended to make a strong resistance, and perhaps save at least their city. The Trojans followed behind burning the vineyards and olive orchards of the Hittite peasantry, though rather obviously not those of the Hellenic and Ba’alists.
Meanwhile, in the east, the Asians had invaded. In a two pronged attack Army Diomedes, a mercenary army, struck through Kizzuwatna’s east, taking the last of the ancient Hittite cities to remain out of Hellenic hands. Further west, pushing through the Tarsus Mountains, came Army Ajax. Coming near to Kummanni, they encountered a second Kizzuwatnan force. The Battle of the Cilician Gates was long and bloody. The Kizzuwatnan force was outnumbered four to three, but it fought with passion, while the Asians fought with lackluster emotion and horrid arrogance. Of equal importance, Kizzuwatna fought knowing the geography. Utilizing the narrow gorge, bounded on either side by the Taurus Mountains the Kizzuwatnan forces fought, literally to the last hundred. They managed to defeat the Asians’ mercenaries and force them into retreat, the Asians having themselves fought down to the last hundreds. While it did not win the war for Kizzuwatna, it did win time.
Time, however, is rarely enough. Within months the rest of Kizzuwatna had been secured by the Hellenics, leaving only the capital and its immediate area. It was then that the forces of Asia and the forces of Troy gathered to enter the valley of the Sarus River [4]. Ready for battle, they planned to siege the city directly the next morning and starve the city into submission. However, the Trojan general of Athenian origins, Pericles, spoke up. Taking a new strategy, the forces decided to wait the one day and then march, so as to make the siege coincide with the Panathanaea [5] and use the festival of Athena for moral strength, as Athena was worshipped by the troops above the other war deities for her position as the g-ddess of just war (some, including Prince Byzas, accused Pericles of choosing the occasion for its importance to the Athenians, but this was ultimately scoffed at).
However, rather than allow the Hellenic forces to siege the city itself and perhaps bring the citizens to their deathbeds, King Paddatishu ordered the army out of the city. One day later, the forces of Kizzuwatna and Hellas met half way between Kummanni and the Hellenic encampment, where the Battle of Adana was fought. The forces clashed in an epic struggle, hoplite versus chariot, Hellene versus Hittite. This battle marked the culmination in a millennia long struggle by every power in the region, from the Armenians to the Syrians to the Dardanians, to destroy all remnants of the Hittite hegemony.
In the battle Pericles once again came forth, this time emerging as the supreme commander after Prince Byzas died, killed by a local prostitute while performing her services, apparently acting out of national and religious sentiment. Pericles organized the troops in an ingenious manner. First, he placed the elite hoplite mercenaries that served Asia in the center. Though spread out thinly, they formed an unbreakable center. On the flanks he positioned the Trojan infantry with the better forces shifted to the left. On the extreme flanks, removed from the main army and positioned in the Taurus Mountains on either side of the narrow valley, were positioned the Scythian mercenary cavalry and the archers. He then placed the main army in a narrow point of the valley, where the Kizzuwatnan chariots and horsemen could not have an effect.
When the enemy forces took to the field, they chose the most obvious tactic when so horribly outnumbered: use a deep line and try to break the center, just as Pericles predicted. Upon attempting this, they found a horrible problem, the mercenaries placed in the center, just as Pericles intended, would simply not break. Fully engaged trying to break and unbreakable line, the Kizzuwatnans were sitting ducks, being picked off one by one by the Hellenic archers. Then, Pericles sprung his trap. Sweeping in from either flank the Trojan hoplites surrounded the Kizzuwatnans on either side.
Simultaneously, the Trojan cavalry stormed down from the mountains, slopes that could not be navigated upwards in charge, and attacked the Kizzuwatnan cavalry. Though the Hittite traditions were with the defenders, the Scythian horse archers were simply too powerful. Decimating the enemy cavalry, the mercenaries then swung around and attacked the Kizzuwatnan back, enclosing them entirely. Bounded on all sides the Kizzuwatnan formation broke down and a mass slaughter ensued. Not a single Kizzuwatnan survived, not even their commander, the heir apparent Prince Paddatishu.
When the news reached back to Kummanni, King Paddatishu I (and the last it would seem) took his life. He was discovered the next morning in his chambers, a glass of locally produced wine laced with hemlock placed on his night stand and a note on parchment sealed with the king’s ring to its left. To this day, he is remembered by citizens of the region, be they Hittite, Punic, or Hellene, as a national hero and symbol of what a true “King of the People” is. Meanwhile, the Hellenes, and in particular Athens, have gained a hero of their own: Pericles.
It is with a sorrowful heart, your Heavenly Majesty, that I bring the news of our success. Bei has risen again, and China will be a much more boring place for it. –General Erzhu Tianguang of the Kingdom of Bei, 445 BCE
Under the leadership of Gao Zu, Bei has re-emerged as a force in China. Utilizing the naval and economic power of the Tamnese Empire, they have struck out with force. The armies have marched across many nations in their time, and two nations in the 440’s would feel there wrath, the first was Qi.
For over two centuries now Qi has stood in the way of Bei, preventing it from garnering the wealth of the Eastern Sea trade and playing a larger role in the politics of the region. Likewise, they prevented Tamna from taking complete dominance of the northern trade routes. Though the alliance of these two disgruntled powers, Qi met its doom. The War of the Black Dawn was bloody, quick, and very painful.
The first battle was fought not on land by the numerous forces of Bei, but see by the mighty navy of Tamna. The relatively small Battle of Qingdao Harbor and the subsequent, and considerably larger, Battle of Baekgang would go down in history as two of the most important naval battles not only in Far Eastern history, but in the history of the world.
The Battle of Qingdao Harbor was the first engagement of the war. The southernmost division of the Qi navy was caught by surprise, and the battle was quick. The Tamnese easily sunk half the fleet, and boarded the other half. After destroying this branch of the Qi fleet, the Tamnese retreated eastwards to the Donjin River of southern Korea.
Here, in the region of Baekgang, The Tamnese prepared for a much larger battle. On April 13, 444 BCE the fleets of Tamna and Qi met in battle. The battle was short, and a total route. The battle went as predicted, Tamna emerged victorious and all vestiges of Qi’s naval and commercial power were destroyed.
Meanwhile, while Qi’s navy was distracted in the east, Bei’s mediocre and rather pathetic navy took to the see. Speeding across glassy surface of the sea from Zhigu to the mouth of the Huang He where the established a blockade. Soon there after, the fleet began the process of fighting its way up-river towards Linzi.
After the Bei fleet made its way sufficiently upriver, the Bei First Army crossed the border, breaching heavy Qi defenses and fighting its way to the northern bank of the Huang He. After crossing the river, the army joined with the navy to lay siege to Linzi, which fell rather quickly having its food supplies so effectively cut off. The sacred mountain Tai Shan fell soon there after, the Taoist monks no match for the massive Bei army. Meanwhile the Second Army landed outside Qingdao and seized the city. Unfortunately for Bei, Zhong took the opportunity and conquered a significant amount of Qi’s southern territory. In the north, the Dalian Peninsula fell without as much as a battle. Bei had clearly begun a new rise to glory.
After the destruction of Qi and the end of the War of the Black Dawn came the War of the Northern Wind. This war would be quite a bit more difficult for Bei. While Bei was still securing the Dalian Peninsula, Tamna made its move. Marching northwards from the old territory of Jin came a large, highly trained, mercenary army. The army easily made its way to the Han Rivers, where finally met opposition. About twenty miles south of Seoul and the Han River, the mercenary army met with the forces of Joseon in the Battle of Suwon. Lead directly by Empress Chonmyoung, the Tamnese forces managed to barely outmaneuver the Joseonese, and then march on to take Seoul and the entirety of the valuable Han Rivers. Here they stopped, and waited, for in the north a new wind was blowing.
Erzhu Tianguang had proven himself a most capable general for Bei. He had led his troops effectively in Shandong and had managed to secure the entire Dalian Peninsula without loosing a single man. As a reward, he positioned as the leader of the Bei offensive in Joseon. With this in mind, he planned, and one could say he planned well.
First, Erzhu divided his troops into two divisions. The first marched eastwards from Dalian towards Kimchaek under Erzhu while the second marched southwards under Erzhu Tianguang’s cousin, Erzhu Shilong. The attack on Kimchaek went just as planned. Defending troops were lacking because of the war in the south and the rather new storm troopers were quite capable of those who did remain. After the fall of Kimchaek itself, Erzhu Tianguang was able to redirect west and southwards, to join his rather more unfortunate cousin.
While Tianguang in the north was able to gain ground without much trouble, Shilong had a more difficult time. While the invasion went well at first, he encountered serious resistance as he made his way towards Pyongyang, the capital. Upon reaching the Taedong River Valley Shilong’s army was met by a Joseonese army in the Battle of Anju. Shilong, a rather horrid commander compared to his brother, led his troops to a total route. The formation broke early and Shilong himself was shot by an arrow through his eye.
The final engagement of the war occurred several weeks later when the Tamnese forces under Empress Chonmyoung and the Bei forces under Erzhu Tianguang met on either side, north and south, of a Joseonese force at the Battle of Yangdok. The battle was fierce, the formations traditional, and the result predictable. Joseon was crushed by the attackers’ pincer movement and Pyongyang was seized. After that Bei, as in accordance with previous decisions, handed all of Korea over to Tamna while Tamna retreated from the Qi ports.
For Ahura Mazda I fight, that I may conquer the evil and serve the good. When my day comes and I walk the tightrope from this world to the next I can rest assured that my soul will be light enough that I will not fall into the bowels of Hell but rather reach the domain of light and truth. –Raheel Isfahani, Member of the Cataphract Immortals of the Persian Empire, 442 BCE
The words of such a simple man, a mere warrior, not even a general, really express Persia during the 440’s BCE. This was a time combining faith and fighting. Persia has begun a new order; one that places Ahura Mazda [7] first and the Shahanshah [8] close behind. Expansion has dominated the court of Persepolis’ mind, in particular expansion to re-conquer the defiant provinces of Mesopotamia.
Utilizing the cataphract and foot immortals, the Persians lured the troops of Nineveh and later other Assyrian cities to face off with the far superior and numerically superior troops in head-to-head battle. In this manner, Assyria was easily conquered. Meanwhile in the south the Persian immortals squared off with the Sumerians. Targeting mainly Ur and Nippur, the Persians attempted the same tactics. However, they found the Sumerians too smart to fall for such tricks, which resulted in the Persians pulling another trick out of their hats. The Persian generals brought in large siege weapons and utterly pummeled the cities’ walls into nothing. After many months of hard fighting, Sumer was conquered. The Persians attempted to carry this success on to the rest of Mesopotamia east of the Euphrates, but have found the remaining cities much more defiant. The fighting continued all the way through the 440’s. In the meantime, the fall of Nineveh to the Persians caused a re-centering of Mesopotamian culture in Babylon.
On a more peaceful side of things Persepolis has taken great strides to spread the Zoroastrian faith. Missionaries have been sent all around the known world, from Mesopotamia to Bactria to Turkestan to Arabia. Because of this the faith is beginning to spread. However, there is resistance, particularly among the Mesopotamians and Arabs. In addition, fire temples [9] have begun to spring up throughout the empire, in particular the largest fire temple is being built in the ancient capital and cultural center of Susa which is beginning to attract numbers of pilgrims. Besides the construction of fire temples, the emperor has also begun the construction of a massive road connecting the major cities of Persia’s west.
This quote likewise expresses well the policies of Himyar during the 440’s BCE. Utilizing a powerful navy, Himyar took on a policy of conquering all former territory of Minaea. Magan [10] went peacefully, united with Aden by its Jewish faith. However, the rest of Minaea would not do so. Both the Hedjaz and Soqotra refused diplomatic efforts on the part of Himyar to integrate, and so war has come to the south of Arabia.
The seas were an azure blue on the fateful day when the dhows set sail from Aden’s harbor. Twenty-five ships were counted in the number of this fleet, all sailing eastward into the Indian Ocean. Destined for conquest, this was the first military fleet to go beyond Opone since the days of Minaea. The fleet carried on past Opone and sailed on to Soqotra. Here, they gave the emir the option of handing the city over peacefully. The vain, arrogant man he was, he refused. The result was that a full third of the populace died from starvation and starvation related diseases before the emir was dragged out into the streets by an angry mob and hanged. The island came to rest firmly in the hands of Himyar.
Far to the north, across the Gulf of Aden and the Empty Quarter and halfway up the Arabian Peninsula lays the Hedjaz. Here along the Red Sea coast sits the affluent port of Jeddah, often known as the protector of the more valuable Mecca. Under the veil of a large dust storm the Himyarite troops made a sneak attack to take the city. After having secured the geopolitically valuable position, the Himyarite forces took the surrounding cities, executing every third emir in the region and thus securing the Hedjaz for Aden.
In addition to political expansion, Himyar took steps towards religious expansion. Around the nation, including in the majority polytheist areas, Aden built and expanded synagogues [12]. There were also efforts taken to show the esteemed place of Judaism in Himyar by restricting certain government positions only to Jews as well as restricting Gentiles to only one tenth of the positions in the government of any level. Slowly, these policies are beginning to win converts to the Jewish faith, despite the lack of any proselytizing and the difficulty of the Jewish conversion process.
…it is our duty to the G-ds to unite in religious union… –High Druid Muircheartach of Isles Druidism, Founding Father of Celtic Druidism, 447 BCE
Perhaps the greatest sign of the dawn of a new order was a great new movement, a movement at the very edge of the civilized world. In the holy city of Cill Dara [13] the great leaders of the various and to that point fiercely separate forms of Druidism from across the Celtic world gathered at the behest of the High Druid Muircheartach of Isles Druidism and the High King Díthorba of the Kingdom of Eire. Here a whole new religion is taking shape. Officially known in the writings of the Council of Cill Dara as Celtic Druidism, it was known more commonly as Pan-Druidism (seeing as all Druidism is Celtic). Though the religion was small, it was dynamic and it had the approval of nearly every major religious leader throughout Celtica. The largest existing communities in 440 were in Eire and the Pictish area of Caledonia.
In addition to the founding of the new movement, the Council of Cill Dara seeks to bind Celtica closer politically, diplomatically, and militarily, particularly in defense against the Germanics and others that would threaten Celtic sovereignty. Though by 440 there had been no official statements to the effect, many in Milan had begun to question whether or not this new found Celtic union was aimed at ending their domination over Helvetia.
Finally, the Council set forth goals for three libraries. The two most important were to be built in Cill Dara and Tara, Eire. The Great Library of Cill Dara was to be filled with stone tablets, written in the Ogham alphabet, recording the myths and theology of all the Celtic peoples. On the other hand, the Great Library of Tara was to be filled with the bardic literature of the Celtic peoples. The third library was designed to be an undertaking of the Picts in Caledonia, rather than Eire. The Great Library of Perth was meant to be a miniature version of those in Cill Dara and Tara.
The Great G-ddess Isis has truly blessed us sisters and brothers. The patriarchal, polytheistic tyrants of Thebes are collapsing as I speak. Truly, we have been blessed to such a miracle in our time. A new order has dawned, an order that will last the ages. - Her Holiness High Priestess Isetnofret, the head of the Cult of Isis and unofficial leader of all G-ddess Worship, 442 BCE
As the moon rose over the hills and lakes, valleys and rivers the eyes of the world closed to the night sky and went into slumber. The past decade had been filled with change. Blood was split like blood had not been spilt in ages; religions felt upheaval like they had not for centuries. On that night the world went to sleep hoping, praying, that when they awoke their lives would have calmed and the old order restored. Unfortunately for them, there was no going back. In the past ten years a global revolution had taken place, and new order had been established, the Novus Ordo Seclorum.
[1] –Often spelled Jaffa, part of the modern Tel Aviv-Jaffa polity.
[2] –Un-anglicized name for Rosetta, the city made famous by the Rosetta stone.
[3] –Eastern part of the Nile Delta. Recorded as the portion of Egypt where the Jewish slaves lived. In TTL it was conquered by Israel during the Egyptian Wars of Unification. Later it declared its independence during the collapse of the Moesian Empire and again during the collapse of the Israelite Empire, later conquered by Aram Damascus.
[4] –Now known as the Seyhan River.
[5] –Ancient Athenian festival, similar to the Olympic games, in honor of Athena.
[6] –Ancient name of Tianjin, Beijing’s port.
[7] –Main deity of Zoroastrianism.
[8] –Means Shah of Shahs, translated to English it means roughly King of Kings. The title was used by the Persian emperors.
[9] –Main houses of Zoroastrian worship.
[10] –Though there is dispute as to the exact location of Magan in OTL, it is generally ascribed to modern Oman, a definition that is followed in TTL.
[11] –Location is likewise disputed, but the ancient port is believed to have existed at the very tip of the Horn of Africa.
[12] –Though Judaism is still in the Temple stage of development, there has always been only one Temple in Judaism, all local houses of worship being synagogues.
[13] –Literally “Church of the Oak,” Kildare (the anglicized and more common name) was a major pre-Christian religious center based on the g-ddess Brighid and during Christianity became the first center of Irish Christianity due to the efforts of St. Brighid (St. Bridget of Ireland).
450-440 BCE
There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. –Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, Political Theorist, The Prince, 1532
As the sun rose over plains and mountains, deserts and seas, the eyes of men across the face of the glob opened to a new day, and a new age. The year 450 BCE marked the beginning of vast changes in society, and the beginning of a new period in history. From the dry sands of the Egyptian desert to the watery rice patties of China a new order is taking hold. Be it by war, be it by government reform, be it by massive religious change, or be it by the slowing shifting grains in the hourglass of time, the world is changing, and it is changing fast. The world was beginning to experience growing pains, for as Machiavelli said, “There is nothing more difficult…than…the introduction of a new order….” Truly, the Novus Ordo Seclorum, the New Order of the Ages, had arrived.
Rashid has fallen, Memphis has fallen, the Pentapolis has fallen, even ancient Thebes has fallen. I am afraid, Your Majesty, that the days of Pharaonic glory may be at their end. –General Her-Amon of the Egyptian Empire, 443 BCE
Egypt was on the verge of collapse; even the desert seemed to be seeking revenge on the seemingly unconquerable civilizers of the Nile. If one believes the propaganda, it would seem that Egypt’s death has been pre-destined by the g-ds, or rather, by G-d.
In 449 BCE a terror roared down on the people of Egypt from the north and from the east, from the kingdom of the Aramaeans, from Aram Damascus. Riding through the Eastern Desert the Arabic camelry led a charge into the Nile Valley, straight for the ancient city of Thebes, the heart of Egypt. Upon approaching the outskirts of Thebes, the Aramaeans lured the Egyptian force out into a large battle. Here is where the obituary for the Pharaoh’s empire was written. Though Egypt’s archers, drawn from the Nubians of the south, were far superior to anything Aram Damascus had, this was negligible. Drawn away from the protective walls of the capital, the archers proved ineffectual against the superior tactics of the Syrian generals. Using a concentrated the charge the camelry easily collapsed the Egyptian left flank, allowing the archers to find and take out the Egyptian general. Without leadership the Egyptian formation broke and the soldiers ran in a disorganized retreat. Thus, the Battle of the Theban Plain was won for Damascus.
Regrouping after the battle the Aramaean forces proceeded to storm Thebes. While the Aram Damascus’ troops, in general, restrained themselves from excessive pillage and rape (despite their hatred of polytheistic Egyptian religion), the Arabic camelry did no such thing. The city seemed to burst into flames as soon as the Arabs passed through the ancient gates. Naught, it would seem, is sacred to them. The golden statues of the temples were seized. Even the ancient idol of Amun, stored in the holiest sanctuary of the grand temple, was not safe; within the year the idol had made its way to the Ka’abah in Mecca.
However, the pharaoh was luckier. Though it is unknown exactly how it came to pass, when the Syrian troops entered the pharaonic palace the next morning, he was missing. Suspicion holds that sometime during the night the pharaoh was escorted from the city on the back of a Bedouin camel, the hellish fires of the city framing the caravan against the night sky. In any case, several weeks later Pharaoh Mernemptah turned up in Elephantine further south. This, however, has been the only spot of hope for the Egyptians.
Far too the north, another scourge of Heaven descended on Egypt. Skirting across the azure blue of the Mediterranean Sea from the Jewish port of Yafo [1] in Aram Damascus was a massive fleet of over fifty ships, sailing for the holy port of Rashid [2]. This was the first sign, visible from the lighthouse from many miles away, of the second prong of Damascus’ two prong Egyptian invasion. However, the main part of this offensive was yet to come. Marching in line out of Goshen [3] to the east, the Syrian army marched into the western half of the Nile Delta. Here, they came across a great surprise. Expecting large resistance, they instead found great support. Her Holiness High Priestess Isetnofret, the head of the Cult of Isis and unofficial leader of all G-ddess Worship, raised the populace in revolt. Though the majority of her political power had long since left, she was able to rally the people around her. The people rose up to support the monotheistic (even if patriarchal) Aramaeans against the heathen Egyptian polytheists. Without so much as lifting a finger, masses of peasants gave the eastern mouth of the Nile Delta and all land once ruled from Rashid.
Freed from the anticipated battle for Rashid, the Aramaeans were able to send all of their forces against Memphis in a concentrated assault; the city stood no chance. Despite the massive forces that Egypt had to defend the old capital of Lower Egypt, they were nothing compared to the forces of Aram Damascus, riding on a wave of success and moral superiority. Memphis fell in a rather lackluster battle and the third of Egypt’s great cities fell. And yet, Egypt would not have a reprieve.
While Memphis and Thebes began to slowly recover under the new rule of Damascus, five more cities would feel the sword. Cyrenaica, often referred to as the Pentapolis for its five cities (Cyrene, Appolonia, Arsinoe, Berenice, and Barca), came to feel the power of yet another great power, Carthage.
Emerging from the white sands of the Libyan Desert, carried on the backs of the great steeds of the Sahara, the Berber mercenaries took the garrison of thriving Barca by surprise. Swooping down from the high Barca Plateau the garrison stood no chance. Arrows and javelins whistled through the air in a storm of fired wood and hardened steal. By the battles end every member of the garrison either lay dead or had fled into the heart of the city; they never even had a chance to take their formations. The Berber mercenaries, however, were not finished. Many of them, ignoring the Punic silver in their purses and the orders of their Carthaginian commanders, decided to take the traditional right of all mercenaries: pillage. However, out of this the prowess of a remarkable leader emerged. Hannibal, a young prince sent along by the order of his father, shamed the mercenaries into ending their pillaging and returning to conquest. A second offensive was launched several months later in July of the year 442 BCE. Carried aboard a sizeable fleet of twenty ships the Numidian mercenaries seized the great city of Cyrene and finally brought Cyrenaica under Punic rule.
The Egyptian Empire is now on a path to collapse. The Nile Delta has been lost, Cyrenaica has been lost, and even the heartland of Thebes has been lost. Their armies are in complete disarray, the great cultural centers are ruled by barbarians and heathens, and even the pharaoh, the son of the g-ds, is loosing his grip on power. However, the people of Egypt will always resist any attempt at subjugation, any attempt at conquest, and anyone that would rob their blessed land, the Gift of the Nile, from them. Mighty Egypt has fallen on hard times, but their future is not yet sealed. No matter the outcome, be it the final fall of Egypt or the driving of foreigners out of the Egyptian homeland, it will truly be the dawn of a new order.
I have lead this nation as best I could and preserved the heritage of our great Hittite ancestors as best I could. I have failed in this, and as such my life is forfeit. –Suicide Note of King Paddatishu I of Kizzuwatna, Second Day of Panathanaea, 447 BCE
Kizzuwatna, a country known for its beauty sat on the southern edge of Asia Minor, sloping down from the Anatolian highlands to the Mediterranean coast. Its landscape is scattered with grape vines and olive trees. This land had always been known for its breathtakingly gorgeous scenery. However, the Aristeian War (originally called such by the Asians) put an end to that.
In 444 BCE the first moves of a war that would signal the end of an era for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Near East. In 444 BCE Troy reached forth and directed its army, under the command of Prince Byzas, to invade the much weaker Kizzuwatna. Feeling the blessings of Pallas Athena, Ares, and Nike, the hoplites marched into the kingdom with great determination. Luring the Kizzuwatnan forces out into the fields, they engaged each other in the Battle of Akroinon. The battle was a total route, due to numeric superiority, training superiority, and the ingenious hoplite tactics of Prince Byzas, and his lower an ambitious and young Athenian named Pericles. The battle would have been a total slaughter had not nearly every Kizzuwatnan soldier managed to successfully escape with their lives and regroup for an organized retreat through Lycia to Kummanni where they intended to make a strong resistance, and perhaps save at least their city. The Trojans followed behind burning the vineyards and olive orchards of the Hittite peasantry, though rather obviously not those of the Hellenic and Ba’alists.
Meanwhile, in the east, the Asians had invaded. In a two pronged attack Army Diomedes, a mercenary army, struck through Kizzuwatna’s east, taking the last of the ancient Hittite cities to remain out of Hellenic hands. Further west, pushing through the Tarsus Mountains, came Army Ajax. Coming near to Kummanni, they encountered a second Kizzuwatnan force. The Battle of the Cilician Gates was long and bloody. The Kizzuwatnan force was outnumbered four to three, but it fought with passion, while the Asians fought with lackluster emotion and horrid arrogance. Of equal importance, Kizzuwatna fought knowing the geography. Utilizing the narrow gorge, bounded on either side by the Taurus Mountains the Kizzuwatnan forces fought, literally to the last hundred. They managed to defeat the Asians’ mercenaries and force them into retreat, the Asians having themselves fought down to the last hundreds. While it did not win the war for Kizzuwatna, it did win time.
Time, however, is rarely enough. Within months the rest of Kizzuwatna had been secured by the Hellenics, leaving only the capital and its immediate area. It was then that the forces of Asia and the forces of Troy gathered to enter the valley of the Sarus River [4]. Ready for battle, they planned to siege the city directly the next morning and starve the city into submission. However, the Trojan general of Athenian origins, Pericles, spoke up. Taking a new strategy, the forces decided to wait the one day and then march, so as to make the siege coincide with the Panathanaea [5] and use the festival of Athena for moral strength, as Athena was worshipped by the troops above the other war deities for her position as the g-ddess of just war (some, including Prince Byzas, accused Pericles of choosing the occasion for its importance to the Athenians, but this was ultimately scoffed at).
However, rather than allow the Hellenic forces to siege the city itself and perhaps bring the citizens to their deathbeds, King Paddatishu ordered the army out of the city. One day later, the forces of Kizzuwatna and Hellas met half way between Kummanni and the Hellenic encampment, where the Battle of Adana was fought. The forces clashed in an epic struggle, hoplite versus chariot, Hellene versus Hittite. This battle marked the culmination in a millennia long struggle by every power in the region, from the Armenians to the Syrians to the Dardanians, to destroy all remnants of the Hittite hegemony.
In the battle Pericles once again came forth, this time emerging as the supreme commander after Prince Byzas died, killed by a local prostitute while performing her services, apparently acting out of national and religious sentiment. Pericles organized the troops in an ingenious manner. First, he placed the elite hoplite mercenaries that served Asia in the center. Though spread out thinly, they formed an unbreakable center. On the flanks he positioned the Trojan infantry with the better forces shifted to the left. On the extreme flanks, removed from the main army and positioned in the Taurus Mountains on either side of the narrow valley, were positioned the Scythian mercenary cavalry and the archers. He then placed the main army in a narrow point of the valley, where the Kizzuwatnan chariots and horsemen could not have an effect.
When the enemy forces took to the field, they chose the most obvious tactic when so horribly outnumbered: use a deep line and try to break the center, just as Pericles predicted. Upon attempting this, they found a horrible problem, the mercenaries placed in the center, just as Pericles intended, would simply not break. Fully engaged trying to break and unbreakable line, the Kizzuwatnans were sitting ducks, being picked off one by one by the Hellenic archers. Then, Pericles sprung his trap. Sweeping in from either flank the Trojan hoplites surrounded the Kizzuwatnans on either side.
Simultaneously, the Trojan cavalry stormed down from the mountains, slopes that could not be navigated upwards in charge, and attacked the Kizzuwatnan cavalry. Though the Hittite traditions were with the defenders, the Scythian horse archers were simply too powerful. Decimating the enemy cavalry, the mercenaries then swung around and attacked the Kizzuwatnan back, enclosing them entirely. Bounded on all sides the Kizzuwatnan formation broke down and a mass slaughter ensued. Not a single Kizzuwatnan survived, not even their commander, the heir apparent Prince Paddatishu.
When the news reached back to Kummanni, King Paddatishu I (and the last it would seem) took his life. He was discovered the next morning in his chambers, a glass of locally produced wine laced with hemlock placed on his night stand and a note on parchment sealed with the king’s ring to its left. To this day, he is remembered by citizens of the region, be they Hittite, Punic, or Hellene, as a national hero and symbol of what a true “King of the People” is. Meanwhile, the Hellenes, and in particular Athens, have gained a hero of their own: Pericles.
It is with a sorrowful heart, your Heavenly Majesty, that I bring the news of our success. Bei has risen again, and China will be a much more boring place for it. –General Erzhu Tianguang of the Kingdom of Bei, 445 BCE
Under the leadership of Gao Zu, Bei has re-emerged as a force in China. Utilizing the naval and economic power of the Tamnese Empire, they have struck out with force. The armies have marched across many nations in their time, and two nations in the 440’s would feel there wrath, the first was Qi.
For over two centuries now Qi has stood in the way of Bei, preventing it from garnering the wealth of the Eastern Sea trade and playing a larger role in the politics of the region. Likewise, they prevented Tamna from taking complete dominance of the northern trade routes. Though the alliance of these two disgruntled powers, Qi met its doom. The War of the Black Dawn was bloody, quick, and very painful.
The first battle was fought not on land by the numerous forces of Bei, but see by the mighty navy of Tamna. The relatively small Battle of Qingdao Harbor and the subsequent, and considerably larger, Battle of Baekgang would go down in history as two of the most important naval battles not only in Far Eastern history, but in the history of the world.
The Battle of Qingdao Harbor was the first engagement of the war. The southernmost division of the Qi navy was caught by surprise, and the battle was quick. The Tamnese easily sunk half the fleet, and boarded the other half. After destroying this branch of the Qi fleet, the Tamnese retreated eastwards to the Donjin River of southern Korea.
Here, in the region of Baekgang, The Tamnese prepared for a much larger battle. On April 13, 444 BCE the fleets of Tamna and Qi met in battle. The battle was short, and a total route. The battle went as predicted, Tamna emerged victorious and all vestiges of Qi’s naval and commercial power were destroyed.
Meanwhile, while Qi’s navy was distracted in the east, Bei’s mediocre and rather pathetic navy took to the see. Speeding across glassy surface of the sea from Zhigu to the mouth of the Huang He where the established a blockade. Soon there after, the fleet began the process of fighting its way up-river towards Linzi.
After the Bei fleet made its way sufficiently upriver, the Bei First Army crossed the border, breaching heavy Qi defenses and fighting its way to the northern bank of the Huang He. After crossing the river, the army joined with the navy to lay siege to Linzi, which fell rather quickly having its food supplies so effectively cut off. The sacred mountain Tai Shan fell soon there after, the Taoist monks no match for the massive Bei army. Meanwhile the Second Army landed outside Qingdao and seized the city. Unfortunately for Bei, Zhong took the opportunity and conquered a significant amount of Qi’s southern territory. In the north, the Dalian Peninsula fell without as much as a battle. Bei had clearly begun a new rise to glory.
After the destruction of Qi and the end of the War of the Black Dawn came the War of the Northern Wind. This war would be quite a bit more difficult for Bei. While Bei was still securing the Dalian Peninsula, Tamna made its move. Marching northwards from the old territory of Jin came a large, highly trained, mercenary army. The army easily made its way to the Han Rivers, where finally met opposition. About twenty miles south of Seoul and the Han River, the mercenary army met with the forces of Joseon in the Battle of Suwon. Lead directly by Empress Chonmyoung, the Tamnese forces managed to barely outmaneuver the Joseonese, and then march on to take Seoul and the entirety of the valuable Han Rivers. Here they stopped, and waited, for in the north a new wind was blowing.
Erzhu Tianguang had proven himself a most capable general for Bei. He had led his troops effectively in Shandong and had managed to secure the entire Dalian Peninsula without loosing a single man. As a reward, he positioned as the leader of the Bei offensive in Joseon. With this in mind, he planned, and one could say he planned well.
First, Erzhu divided his troops into two divisions. The first marched eastwards from Dalian towards Kimchaek under Erzhu while the second marched southwards under Erzhu Tianguang’s cousin, Erzhu Shilong. The attack on Kimchaek went just as planned. Defending troops were lacking because of the war in the south and the rather new storm troopers were quite capable of those who did remain. After the fall of Kimchaek itself, Erzhu Tianguang was able to redirect west and southwards, to join his rather more unfortunate cousin.
While Tianguang in the north was able to gain ground without much trouble, Shilong had a more difficult time. While the invasion went well at first, he encountered serious resistance as he made his way towards Pyongyang, the capital. Upon reaching the Taedong River Valley Shilong’s army was met by a Joseonese army in the Battle of Anju. Shilong, a rather horrid commander compared to his brother, led his troops to a total route. The formation broke early and Shilong himself was shot by an arrow through his eye.
The final engagement of the war occurred several weeks later when the Tamnese forces under Empress Chonmyoung and the Bei forces under Erzhu Tianguang met on either side, north and south, of a Joseonese force at the Battle of Yangdok. The battle was fierce, the formations traditional, and the result predictable. Joseon was crushed by the attackers’ pincer movement and Pyongyang was seized. After that Bei, as in accordance with previous decisions, handed all of Korea over to Tamna while Tamna retreated from the Qi ports.
For Ahura Mazda I fight, that I may conquer the evil and serve the good. When my day comes and I walk the tightrope from this world to the next I can rest assured that my soul will be light enough that I will not fall into the bowels of Hell but rather reach the domain of light and truth. –Raheel Isfahani, Member of the Cataphract Immortals of the Persian Empire, 442 BCE
The words of such a simple man, a mere warrior, not even a general, really express Persia during the 440’s BCE. This was a time combining faith and fighting. Persia has begun a new order; one that places Ahura Mazda [7] first and the Shahanshah [8] close behind. Expansion has dominated the court of Persepolis’ mind, in particular expansion to re-conquer the defiant provinces of Mesopotamia.
Utilizing the cataphract and foot immortals, the Persians lured the troops of Nineveh and later other Assyrian cities to face off with the far superior and numerically superior troops in head-to-head battle. In this manner, Assyria was easily conquered. Meanwhile in the south the Persian immortals squared off with the Sumerians. Targeting mainly Ur and Nippur, the Persians attempted the same tactics. However, they found the Sumerians too smart to fall for such tricks, which resulted in the Persians pulling another trick out of their hats. The Persian generals brought in large siege weapons and utterly pummeled the cities’ walls into nothing. After many months of hard fighting, Sumer was conquered. The Persians attempted to carry this success on to the rest of Mesopotamia east of the Euphrates, but have found the remaining cities much more defiant. The fighting continued all the way through the 440’s. In the meantime, the fall of Nineveh to the Persians caused a re-centering of Mesopotamian culture in Babylon.
On a more peaceful side of things Persepolis has taken great strides to spread the Zoroastrian faith. Missionaries have been sent all around the known world, from Mesopotamia to Bactria to Turkestan to Arabia. Because of this the faith is beginning to spread. However, there is resistance, particularly among the Mesopotamians and Arabs. In addition, fire temples [9] have begun to spring up throughout the empire, in particular the largest fire temple is being built in the ancient capital and cultural center of Susa which is beginning to attract numbers of pilgrims. Besides the construction of fire temples, the emperor has also begun the construction of a massive road connecting the major cities of Persia’s west.
This quote likewise expresses well the policies of Himyar during the 440’s BCE. Utilizing a powerful navy, Himyar took on a policy of conquering all former territory of Minaea. Magan [10] went peacefully, united with Aden by its Jewish faith. However, the rest of Minaea would not do so. Both the Hedjaz and Soqotra refused diplomatic efforts on the part of Himyar to integrate, and so war has come to the south of Arabia.
The seas were an azure blue on the fateful day when the dhows set sail from Aden’s harbor. Twenty-five ships were counted in the number of this fleet, all sailing eastward into the Indian Ocean. Destined for conquest, this was the first military fleet to go beyond Opone since the days of Minaea. The fleet carried on past Opone and sailed on to Soqotra. Here, they gave the emir the option of handing the city over peacefully. The vain, arrogant man he was, he refused. The result was that a full third of the populace died from starvation and starvation related diseases before the emir was dragged out into the streets by an angry mob and hanged. The island came to rest firmly in the hands of Himyar.
Far to the north, across the Gulf of Aden and the Empty Quarter and halfway up the Arabian Peninsula lays the Hedjaz. Here along the Red Sea coast sits the affluent port of Jeddah, often known as the protector of the more valuable Mecca. Under the veil of a large dust storm the Himyarite troops made a sneak attack to take the city. After having secured the geopolitically valuable position, the Himyarite forces took the surrounding cities, executing every third emir in the region and thus securing the Hedjaz for Aden.
In addition to political expansion, Himyar took steps towards religious expansion. Around the nation, including in the majority polytheist areas, Aden built and expanded synagogues [12]. There were also efforts taken to show the esteemed place of Judaism in Himyar by restricting certain government positions only to Jews as well as restricting Gentiles to only one tenth of the positions in the government of any level. Slowly, these policies are beginning to win converts to the Jewish faith, despite the lack of any proselytizing and the difficulty of the Jewish conversion process.
…it is our duty to the G-ds to unite in religious union… –High Druid Muircheartach of Isles Druidism, Founding Father of Celtic Druidism, 447 BCE
Perhaps the greatest sign of the dawn of a new order was a great new movement, a movement at the very edge of the civilized world. In the holy city of Cill Dara [13] the great leaders of the various and to that point fiercely separate forms of Druidism from across the Celtic world gathered at the behest of the High Druid Muircheartach of Isles Druidism and the High King Díthorba of the Kingdom of Eire. Here a whole new religion is taking shape. Officially known in the writings of the Council of Cill Dara as Celtic Druidism, it was known more commonly as Pan-Druidism (seeing as all Druidism is Celtic). Though the religion was small, it was dynamic and it had the approval of nearly every major religious leader throughout Celtica. The largest existing communities in 440 were in Eire and the Pictish area of Caledonia.
In addition to the founding of the new movement, the Council of Cill Dara seeks to bind Celtica closer politically, diplomatically, and militarily, particularly in defense against the Germanics and others that would threaten Celtic sovereignty. Though by 440 there had been no official statements to the effect, many in Milan had begun to question whether or not this new found Celtic union was aimed at ending their domination over Helvetia.
Finally, the Council set forth goals for three libraries. The two most important were to be built in Cill Dara and Tara, Eire. The Great Library of Cill Dara was to be filled with stone tablets, written in the Ogham alphabet, recording the myths and theology of all the Celtic peoples. On the other hand, the Great Library of Tara was to be filled with the bardic literature of the Celtic peoples. The third library was designed to be an undertaking of the Picts in Caledonia, rather than Eire. The Great Library of Perth was meant to be a miniature version of those in Cill Dara and Tara.
The Great G-ddess Isis has truly blessed us sisters and brothers. The patriarchal, polytheistic tyrants of Thebes are collapsing as I speak. Truly, we have been blessed to such a miracle in our time. A new order has dawned, an order that will last the ages. - Her Holiness High Priestess Isetnofret, the head of the Cult of Isis and unofficial leader of all G-ddess Worship, 442 BCE
As the moon rose over the hills and lakes, valleys and rivers the eyes of the world closed to the night sky and went into slumber. The past decade had been filled with change. Blood was split like blood had not been spilt in ages; religions felt upheaval like they had not for centuries. On that night the world went to sleep hoping, praying, that when they awoke their lives would have calmed and the old order restored. Unfortunately for them, there was no going back. In the past ten years a global revolution had taken place, and new order had been established, the Novus Ordo Seclorum.
[1] –Often spelled Jaffa, part of the modern Tel Aviv-Jaffa polity.
[2] –Un-anglicized name for Rosetta, the city made famous by the Rosetta stone.
[3] –Eastern part of the Nile Delta. Recorded as the portion of Egypt where the Jewish slaves lived. In TTL it was conquered by Israel during the Egyptian Wars of Unification. Later it declared its independence during the collapse of the Moesian Empire and again during the collapse of the Israelite Empire, later conquered by Aram Damascus.
[4] –Now known as the Seyhan River.
[5] –Ancient Athenian festival, similar to the Olympic games, in honor of Athena.
[6] –Ancient name of Tianjin, Beijing’s port.
[7] –Main deity of Zoroastrianism.
[8] –Means Shah of Shahs, translated to English it means roughly King of Kings. The title was used by the Persian emperors.
[9] –Main houses of Zoroastrian worship.
[10] –Though there is dispute as to the exact location of Magan in OTL, it is generally ascribed to modern Oman, a definition that is followed in TTL.
[11] –Location is likewise disputed, but the ancient port is believed to have existed at the very tip of the Horn of Africa.
[12] –Though Judaism is still in the Temple stage of development, there has always been only one Temple in Judaism, all local houses of worship being synagogues.
[13] –Literally “Church of the Oak,” Kildare (the anglicized and more common name) was a major pre-Christian religious center based on the g-ddess Brighid and during Christianity became the first center of Irish Christianity due to the efforts of St. Brighid (St. Bridget of Ireland).
Israelite9191
You should be reading
La Carte
From now on, please include any and all deals you negotiate in your orders. A number of you did but some of you didn't, which makes my fob a lot harder. Stats are not done quite yet, they will be finished later this week.
You may now post.
Spoiler :
From now on, please include any and all deals you negotiate in your orders. A number of you did but some of you didn't, which makes my fob a lot harder. Stats are not done quite yet, they will be finished later this week.
You may now post.
Cuivienen
Deity
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2003
- Messages
- 8,011
Wonderful update! Poor Egyptians...
When will stats be posted? Edit: You answered that.
To: Aram Damascus
From: Mamlaka of Himyar
We ask that you spare any Jews you find still living within Egypt and any Himyaran merchants present there. Otherwise, your dismantlement of old Egypt has our full support.
When will stats be posted? Edit: You answered that.
To: Aram Damascus
From: Mamlaka of Himyar
We ask that you spare any Jews you find still living within Egypt and any Himyaran merchants present there. Otherwise, your dismantlement of old Egypt has our full support.
Israelite9191
You should be reading
Later this week, see the above post. Thanks, and yes, I pitty Egypt, though not as much as I pitty Kizzuwatna.
Kentharu
Zebra Commander
i quit xcl
Israelite9191
You should be reading
Oh, come now, why don't you just change to a different nation? Like one in, I don't know, North America?
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
OOC: Splendid update, though war isn't everything you know 
To Egypt
From Carthage
Cede us the province of Cyrencia we occupy and we will have peace.
To Trojan Empire
From Carthage
We offer a 5 turn NAP between our two nations.
To Egypt
From Carthage
Cede us the province of Cyrencia we occupy and we will have peace.
To Trojan Empire
From Carthage
We offer a 5 turn NAP between our two nations.
LittleBoots
The Bloody Banner
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2006
- Messages
- 1,979
Jeez, little harsh on the poor Asian military 
Thats what I get for short military orders I guess.
Also, yes, we all mourn the passing of Kizzuwatna, however we must look to the future, live life to the fullest, kal ho naa ho, et cetera, et cetera.
Thats what I get for short military orders I guess. Also, yes, we all mourn the passing of Kizzuwatna, however we must look to the future, live life to the fullest, kal ho naa ho, et cetera, et cetera.
Swissempire
Poet Jester
Ummm.....Israelite....you seem to have forgotten me.................
I know you got my orders on time because we discussed them on AIM, so um......you know....where is Cyprus.....the buidling of two cities......the nobility restructuring....the cult of Aphrodite....
C'mon, the friggin Druids and not me....
I know you got my orders on time because we discussed them on AIM, so um......you know....where is Cyprus.....the buidling of two cities......the nobility restructuring....the cult of Aphrodite....
C'mon, the friggin Druids and not me....
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
Swissempire said:
OOC: You should have noticed that most of the update was about military events, and not domestic
I would say that there were MANY domestic events, much more important then Cyprus' (Notably Bei, Carthage and etc, though what kind of general has a name like bright sky? )And of course, the Druids involved over 5 nations, while the Cult of Aphrodite involves eh... one?
To Aram Damscus
From Carthage
We offer you a 5 turn NAP.
Kentharu
Zebra Commander
could i get an explanation for why i got gangbanged (a no bs reason please)
JosefStalinator
Я буду снова здесь
Kentharu said:
Because you were vulnerable and there was plenty to gain from it.
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
OOC: Ironically, I had no idea azale invaded I was just going to hold Cyrencia and demand that Egypt cede it to us. A limited war in fact with little bloodshed.
I was just going to hold Cyrencia and demand that Egypt cede it to us. A limited war in fact with little bloodshed.
Israelite9191
You should be reading
Sorry Swiss and others. I did the military stuff first and then found myself short of time. Most of the domestic stuff, in any event, would not have an immediate effect. I did include everyone's orders in the map and everyone's orders will be taken into account in the stats. I already talked to alex about his domestic reforms and told him what immediate effects they will have. For everyone else the effects will take awhile to become tangible.
Kentharu
Zebra Commander
From the Egyptian Empire
To the Carthaginian Empire (screw spelling)
You have it
To the Carthaginian Empire (screw spelling)
You have it
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
OOC: You actually spelled it right I think
To Egypt
From Carthage
Very well, may peace reign between us.
To Egypt
From Carthage
Very well, may peace reign between us.
Grandmaster
Deity
To Babylon, Mesopotamian cities:
From King of Kings Cyambisis III of Persia:
I am your King, and Ahura Mazda is your Lord. I shall bring into your lands the law and order of this Kingdom, and the revelations given to Zarathrustra. Should you accept my kingship over you, you will be rewarded, and will profit from the protection and wealth of this empire. But if you resist me and deny God, you will suffer untold catastrophe, like none that ever befell your country in this or another age. Bow to the authority of your King, or die.
To King Haza'el of Damascus:
From King of Kings Cyambisis III of Persia:
Please accept my sincere personal congratulations on your superb victories in Egypt. It is clear that Ahura Mazda is with your people; that is little surprise, as your people recognize the oneness of God, if not His name, while the Egyptians are little better than the Sumerian and Assyrian heathens in their worship of sundry gods and spirits.
That said, I send also to inform you that Persia has laid claim to all the land between the Tigris and Euphrates, south of the realm of the noble Saka. As our kingdoms are bound by commerce and friendship, and share an understanding of God's nature unknown to most savage nations, I do not believe our sharing a land boundary will cause any conflict.
From King of Kings Cyambisis III of Persia:
I am your King, and Ahura Mazda is your Lord. I shall bring into your lands the law and order of this Kingdom, and the revelations given to Zarathrustra. Should you accept my kingship over you, you will be rewarded, and will profit from the protection and wealth of this empire. But if you resist me and deny God, you will suffer untold catastrophe, like none that ever befell your country in this or another age. Bow to the authority of your King, or die.
To King Haza'el of Damascus:
From King of Kings Cyambisis III of Persia:
Please accept my sincere personal congratulations on your superb victories in Egypt. It is clear that Ahura Mazda is with your people; that is little surprise, as your people recognize the oneness of God, if not His name, while the Egyptians are little better than the Sumerian and Assyrian heathens in their worship of sundry gods and spirits.
That said, I send also to inform you that Persia has laid claim to all the land between the Tigris and Euphrates, south of the realm of the noble Saka. As our kingdoms are bound by commerce and friendship, and share an understanding of God's nature unknown to most savage nations, I do not believe our sharing a land boundary will cause any conflict.
